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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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468
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mate — to breed
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. mate — a friend
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. march — the month
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. cue — a hint
  13. pass — a permit
  14. fine — all right
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cue — for pool
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — to play on
  20. march — music
  21. rest — what's left
  22. swing — music
  23. rest — a break
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com